Replacing Stolen Treasure
by Ezera
Summary: Five years before Bilbo's adventure, two hobbits stumble across Erbor and Smaug. One of the hobbits steals some of the treasure and abandons his friend. So naturally Smaug decides to keep abandoned hobbit as his treasure. The surprising thing is that they have met before and it was not long ago. (Shape-shifter Smaug) (SmaugXOC and later ThorinXBilbo) (Rated M for obvious reasons)
1. Claimed

Welcome to the show! This is my first _The_ _Hobbit_ story, so I hope you like it! This is a bit AU.

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Two hobbits ran down a long rocky hill, stopping at a peculiar formation in the mountain ahead of them. They pushed on it, rather convinced that this was a hidden door. The formation moved inward slowly and revealed a large pathway leading into the mountain's interior. The taller of the two hobbits grinned at his companion,

"Let's go inside!"

Before the other hobbit could object, the taller hobbit ran into the mountain pathway. The shorter hobbit followed after his companion, yelling,

"Amarith, please come back! You don't know what's down there!"

Amarith laughed, continuing forward,

"Neither do you, Marko! Now come on and let's check this place out!"

Marko frowned, hurrying after his adventurous friend. He had a very bad feeling about this place and wanted to be out of here as soon as possible. Marko finally caught up with Amarith when Amarith had stopped at the end of the passage. Amarith, too shocked to speak, motioned out into the vast gold-filled room in front of them. Marko blinked at the grandeur in front of them,

"Let's look around a little…"

Amarith chuckled,

"I thought you wanted to leave?"

Marko walked towards a set of stairs leading down to the massive sea of gold,

"That was before I knew what was down here… Come on! Let's get as much as we can and go!"

Amarith frowned internally at the difference he heard in his friend's voice,

"Marko, are you alright?"

Marko turned to Amarith,

"Yes, I am fine. Now come on."

Amarith sighed softly and followed his friend down towards the golden ocean below them. Neither hobbit was aware that they were being watched from the shadows by the one who had claimed this golden horde. Marko began to fill up his satchel with golden coins and gems, but Amarith took nothing, leaning against one of the many large columns. He did not like the idea of stealing treasures from a place. In all the adventures Amarith had been one, he had never taken or damaged something. He felt that it tainted the thrill and joy received in an adventure. Amarith was an unusual sort of hobbit. He had a craving for adventure and excitement unlike most hobbits. Amarith found the Shire boring, but felt an obligation to stay unless called elsewhere. Where else did a hobbit belong? Nowhere, in the opinions of the people Amarith had come into contact with in his travels. The farthest away from the Shire Amarith had ever traveled was Bree and even there he was looked upon as an outcast. He would prove himself one day, somehow. Amarith also had another quality that set him apart from other hobbits. He enjoyed the company of other males. It was not terribly unusual for two hobbits of the same gender to be together. In fact hobbits of both genders could become pregnant. The odd thing about Amarith is that he was not settled down with a partner. Hobbits generally waited until they were settled down with a person before they started doing any intimate activities. Amarith did not see the sex he had been having as intimate, so it did not bother him. It was just for pleasure and nothing else...except for the last man he had been with. The man he had been with previously was a man he met at an inn three days travel from where they were now. The man was different in that he did not just part ways after the sex. The two spoke for some time after about all sorts of things and a connection unlike any other connection Amarith had made so far formed between him and the man. Amarith wanted to see him again, but felt he would never get the opportunity.

Marko, his satchel full of treasure, turned to Amarith and frowned,

"Grab some gold if not for you then to help me carry more out of here."

Amarith shook his head,

"No, you know how I feel about stealing things. We should leave, you sound very strange…"

Marko nodded,

"Yes, we should. I can unload this satchel then come back for more!"

Amarith worried greatly for his friend, but did not speak his mind this time. The two hobbits walked side by side towards the stairs when a voice from behind spoke to them,

"Where do you two think you're going?"

The two hobbits turned to see a dragon staring at them with brilliant golden eyes. Marko, in an act of horrible selfishness, pushed Amarith towards the dragon and ran out through the passage. The dragon was distracted by Amarith so he did not even realize that Marko was gone for a few moments. He sighed heavily and a whirlwind formed around him. When it dissipated, a handsome man with proportionally sized scaly deep red wings and a tail in a richly decorated shirt and simple black pants was standing there. He had dark red hair and pale skin on account of the lack of sunlight he had received in the last fifty-five years. Amarith was looking down, afraid that he was about to be burned or eaten alive. The man laughed,

"Your friend as abandoned you and pushed you towards someone who could easily kill you…"

Amarith recognized the voice and looked up at the man,

"I know you…"

The man could not help but smile,

"I am glad that you remember me. Now, answer this question: What should I do with you?"

Amarith blinked and thought for a moment,

"I…I don't know… What are you going to do with me, Smaug?"

A vicious grin replaced Smaug's smile,

"I am going to keep you in replacement for the treasure your former friend stole from me. You will be mine and mine alone…"

Smaug knelt down and put his hands on Amarith's cheeks with a firm hold,

"No other man will lay his hands on you. Not that they would really have the ability because the only way you'll leave here is if I am with you."

Amarith nodded very slowly as everything began to sink in at once. Smaug chuckled and stood up. He motioned for Amarith to rise, but got a better idea and picked up the lovely pale hobbit. Smaug looked into Amarith's emerald green eyes for a moment and chuckled softly at the nervousness he saw in them,

"Do not be afraid of me, my dear. I will not harm you… I will, however, fulfill my claim to you…"

Smaug stretched out his wings and flew deep into the empty stone kingdom that was once Erbor. Amarith looked around at the darkness around them, recognizing formations in the walls as doors to various homes. A sad frown crossed his face with each empty home they passed, but he did not voice his thoughts to Smaug. The last thing he wanted was for the shape-shifter to become angry so high above the ground. They landed in front of what was once the royal palace and Smaug explained that he stayed here when he was in his humanoid form. He carried Amarith into the royal bed chambers of the palace and dropped him on the bed, grinning widely,

"I have always been curious to the idea of becoming a father…"

Amarith's face heated up as he realized how exactly Smaug was going to fulfill his claim to him. Amarith moved backwards from Smaug,

"S…Smaug…no…please… I'm not ready for that…"

Smaug frowned and climbed onto the bed. He was a cruel person, but he would not force this on Amarith. Smaug patted Amarith's cheek and wiped away a frightened tear that had fallen from one of Amarith's eyes,

"I will not force you to do that. We may have a child when you are ready."

Amarith hugged Smaug tightly. He was happy to know that Smaug would not be that cruel to him, but suddenly became guilty when he felt a hardness in Smaug's pants. Amarith looked up to him,

"Smaug, we…we could still have sex if you want to…"

Smaug laughed softly,

"I would prefer to call it making love considering that I am the only one who will ever touch you again like this."

Amarith nodded softly with understanding and started to wiggle out of his clothes, but Smaug quickly stopped him,

"No, I want to undress you."

Amarith blinked, but did not resist as Smaug slowly undressed him. Smaug was making note of every mark, freckle, scratch, etc on Amarith's body. He wanted to memorize it and know everything about it. Smaug leaned down and kissed a small scar on Amarith's stomach, which caused Amarith to shiver slightly. Smaug chuckled as he moved upward and kissed Amarith passionately. Amarith returned the kiss with equal passion as he tried to undress Smaug, eliciting a snicker of amusement from the shape-shifter. He looked up at Smaug, mildly confused, but, before he could question the man, Smaug spoke,

"You won't be able to strip me very well considering your place under me and your lack of height."

Amarith blushed with embarrassment, quickly removing his hands from Smaug's clothing. Smaug moved back a small ways from his hobbit and stripped down quickly. He was magnificent; his mildly muscular form loomed imposingly over the small pudgy hobbit and caused more embarrassment for the young halfling. Smaug moved closer towards Amarith and pulled him into a rough, intense kiss, but as quickly as the kiss began it ended as Smaug got an idea. He climbed off the bed and went to the bathing room. Surprisingly everything in the old palace still worked fine, including the water systems. Smaug pulled a lever and the large bathtub began to fill up with steamy hot-spring water. He then walked back into the bedroom and carried Amarith into the bathing room. Smaug climbed into the water and sank down with Amarith still in his arms. Amarith moved around a little as he made himself comfortable on Smaug's lap. He looked up at the imposing shape-shifter,

"Smaug, why do you still have wings and a tail while the rest of you looks human?"

Smaug laughed softly while rubbing Amarith's back lightly,

"I prefer a humanoid for to a literal human form because I am much more lethal like this… Do you have a problem with it?"

Amarith shook his head quickly. He didn't have a problem with it at all. In fact he found the wings and tail very attractive. With nervous fingers, Amarith reached behind Smaug and began to lightly touch the larger male's wings. The feather-light touches elicited loud moans of pleasure from Smaug. He needed more of his dear little hobbit. Smaug, without any warning, slid one of his long and slender fingers into Amarith. Amarith yelped and moved off of Smaug's finger some, but Smaug slowly coaxed the shocked hobbit back down. With his other hand resting on the back of Amarith's neck, Smaug pulled him into a deep kiss while slowly working his finger around inside Amarith. He was pleased that Amarith was just as warm inside as the last time they were together. Lacking patience, Smaug slipped a second finger in with his first and forced them apart quickly then brought them back together just as quickly. The noises Amarith was making drove Smaug crazy. He needed the hobbit right then, but did not want any harm to come to his hobbit. Smaug removed his lips from Amarith's lips and began to kiss the hobbit's neck. He was amused by how sensitive Amarith's neck was as the hobbit wiggled around in his grasp. Simultaneously Smaug bit down on Amarith's neck and slid a third finger into him. Amarith yelped and whimpered in pain as Smaug's teeth broke through a few layers of skin. Smaug made a purring sort of noise when he felt a few drops of coppery-tasting blood slip into his mouth, but Amarith was not enjoying that in the slightest. A few pained tears rolled down Amarith's cheeks and landed on Smaug's face, which caused the shape-shifter to pull away instantly. He lightly kissed Amarith's neck and removed his fingers from inside the hobbit. Amarith took a deep breath and calmed down quickly before Smaug pressed the tip of his member to Amarith's anus. The two kissed lovingly as Smaug pressed into his dear hobbit until he was fully sheathed inside. Amarith bit Smaug's lower lip softly, which muffled a deep moan. Smaug leaned back against a side of the massive bath tub and began to slowly thrust into Amarith while holding on firmly to Amarith's hips. Smaug loved how tight Amarith was around him and how warm Amarith was on the inside. Amarith, moaning with each thrust, dug his nails into Smaug's firm muscular shoulders. Smaug pressed his lips to Amarith's chest right over his heart and muttered possessively,

"You are mine. Say it."

Amarith gasped as Smaug started to thrust harder,

"I…I am yours…"

Smaug muttered again,

"No one else will ever have you… You are my treasure!"

He slammed particularly hard against a sensitive bundle of nerves inside of Amarith and caused the hobbit to release instantly. Amarith started to tighten around Smaug and it was all the shape-shifter could do to pull out in time to not release inside of him. Amarith lay against Smaug's chest as the two panted heavily. A content silence filled the room, but did not last very long. Smaug stood up and lifted Amarith out of the water then set him down. Amarith grabbed a towel and wrapped himself up in it. Smaug was facing the tub and draining the water so he did not see how adorable Amarith looked until he turned around. He smirked and wrapped a towel around his waist then picked Amarith up again,

"You know, my dear little hobbit, you look adorable enough to eat…"

Amarith blinked and looked up at Smaug with fear in his brilliant green eyes. Smaug laughed in sheer amusement,

"No need to fear, I shall not eat you…so long as you are loyal to me… I was not joking when I said that no one else will ever have you… You are mine even beyond death…"

Amarith nodded slowly, but was still not at ease in the shape-shifter's arms. Smaug sighed and set Amarith down on the bed, climbing in beside him,

"Please do not be afraid… I will not hurt you… I am not a monster."

Those words calmed Amarith. They seemed genuine and almost soft as if Smaug was not only trying to convince Amarith but himself as well. He did not get the opportunity to question the shape-shifter as sleep quickly took them both into its clutches. There would be much more time for questions and for conversations in the coming days and years.


	2. Getting to Know Each Other

Welcome to chapter two! This chapter is going to be mostly fluffy/funny, but with a healthy dollop of seriousness. I would like to thank everyone who has followed and/or favorited this story. It means a lot to me that you all enjoyed it so much and I hope you will continue to enjoy it as it moves forward. Also if anyone wishes to send me a pairing and story prompt I would be more than happy to write a story for you.

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Smaug was roused from an incredible dream by the heavy scent of food in the air. He got out of bed slowly then dressed in fine clothes. Smaug, being a dragon a majority of his time and thus lusting after treasures, had quite the eye for luxury and exquisite things, especially clothing. He calmly followed the smell of food down the old palace's halls until he reached the kitchen where Amarith was hard at work making breakfast for them both. Smaug could not help but to smile at his sweet little hobbit as he walked over and wrapped his arms around the halfling's waist. Amarith jumped slightly when he felt Smaug's arms, but he did not object to the action. Smaug leaned down and whispered breathily into Amarith's ear,

"What are you making for breakfast?"

Amarith laughed softly and nudged Smaug back a little bit,

"First, you have terrible morning breath. Please remedy that quickly. Second, I am roasting a bit of meat that was in the pantry and preparing some bread considering all the bread that was in there was greener than the hills of the Shire…"

Smaug crossed his arms with his eyebrows raised curiously,

"You are either have some nerve or are very reckless with your life… I could eat you alive and then you would not be commenting on the scent of my breath."

Amarith turned to Smaug,

"It is neither. I know you will not harm me."

Smaug chuckled halfheartedly,

"How do you know that? What happened yesterday with your friend does not say well on your judge of character."

Amarith turned away from Smaug and went back to making bread,

"I know you would not hurt me because you said it yourself and I believe you are a man your word, correct?"

Smaug smiled faintly and kissed the top of Amarith's head,

"You are correct, my dear hobbit."

He looked at the pantry,

"We will need to go get food soon…the pantry is almost empty… To be honest it has been almost empty for a while now, but it was not a problem because I was asleep most of the time. I doubt I will be doing much of that now… We shall go today."

Amarith nodded then turned to Smaug, but this time had a mound of dough in his hands,

"That sounds like a good idea. Perhaps we may come across Marko and I can skin him alive for leaving me to die."

Smaug laughed at the hobbit's attempt at being threatening,

"At least allow me to thank him for abandoning such an enjoyable person before you turn him into a mess upon the ground."

Amarith joined Smaug in laughter and nodded. He set the dough down on a cloth he had found earlier. Smaug's stomach growled and he leaned against the counter,

"Is breakfast going to be ready soon? I feel like I could eat a whole flock of sheep!"

Amarith smiled faintly and located a plate from one of the dozens of cupboards around the kitchen then put a fairly large portion of meat and vegetables on the plate before giving it to Smaug. Smaug, instead of going to the dining hall and eating at the massive dining table, sat on the counter and continued to watch Amarith work the dough to perfection. Curiosity began to weave its way into the shape-shifter's mind, leading him to ask,

"Amarith, how old are you?"

Amarith blinked and looked up at Smaug,

"Thirty-five years old… Why do you ask? How old are you?"

Smaug chuckled faintly, rubbing the back of his neck,

"I figured that it would be rude for us not to get to know each other a little bit better since we are going to be together from now on."

His tone was blatantly possessive, but it changed to amused as he continued,

"As for my age, well I don't know. I stopped counting quite a long time ago, but I am old. Are you certain you are thirty-five? You look so much younger than that… Are all hobbits this way?"

Amarith nodded with a soft grin,

"Hobbits are quite long-lived and generally youthful creatures. My friend Bilbo is forty-six and he certainly does not look it! He would not have left me either…"

Smaug chuckled and began to taunt Amarith a bit,

"You have other friends? I would never have guessed!"

Amarith frowned, looking down at the dough,

"No… I don't have other friends… I have another friend… Marko and Bilbo were all the friends I had… They were more like family considering that my own family has removed me from its records…"

Smaug raised an eyebrow,

"What do you mean? They can't just banish you from the family… You are related to them…"

Amarith closed his eyes and held in tears. This was always a sensitive topic for him to discuss. He sighed heavily and began to explain it,

"I am unusual by the standards of the hobbits. Being a bit odd is not so much a problem, but I am not just a bit odd. I was getting ready to leave home one day to compete in a sword competition in Bree and before I left my father told me to take everything I owned with me because I was not going to be allowed back home. It was quite shocking at first, but I can't say I was not expecting it… I…I was honestly thinking they would do it eventually…but not so suddenly…"

Smaug frowned,

"How old were you when you had to leave your home?"

Amarith looked up at Smaug,

"I was about fifteen or so."

Smaug's frown grew a bit more and he crossed his arms. He was becoming angry at how his hobbit had been treated and harshly muttered,

"That is ridiculous! You…deserve a better family… I have killed and yet my family still accepts me!"

Suddenly Amarith pulled Smaug down into a soft kiss. As quickly as it began though the kiss was over and Amarith whispered softly,

"Please calm down… I have you now, are you not my family now?"

Smaug blinked and pulled Amarith onto his lap, putting his hands on the halfling's cheeks,

"I am indeed your family now, but it still angers me that my hobbit was so unduly treated by his former family…"

Amarith sighed,

"I don't like it either, but there is nothing that can be done about it…"

He climbed off of Smaug's lap and put the fire out in the oven before turning back to Smaug,

"I don't think it is the best of ideas to leave that burning while we are gone… I worry that the whole mountain would be in flames…"

Smaug grinned,

"It would not be the first time!"

Amarith burst into laughter despite the fact that it was a very darkly-humored joke. Smaug got off the counter and grabbed an empty sack off of the floor before leaving the palace. He flew down to the massive golden ocean below and filled the sack with coins then flew back up to a waiting Amarith. Smaug took Amarith by the hand,

"Do you trust me?"

Amarith laughed quietly,

"Should I not?"

Smaug grinned and flew over to the place where Amarith had first come into Erbor with Marko. He strolled calmly out through the passage and allowed himself to fully shift into a human form. Amarith looked up at Smaug,

"Smaug, how are we going to transport the food back here? There will probably be too much for us to carry on our own…"

Smaug pondered the question for a moment and came up with a rather simple idea,

"We will purchase a wheelbarrow when we get there and load everything in it. Then next time we go we already have a wheelbarrow to carry everything."

Amarith nodded in agreement,

"That sounds like a brilliant idea, but where are we going?"

Smaug took one of Amarith's hands in one of his own,

"There is a place called Lake Town not far from here. Did you not go through it when coming here?"

Amarith shook his head,

"No, we came through another place, but I do not know the name of it."

Smaug chuckled in amusement and began to walk in the direction of Lake Town. Lake Town at this time was not the gloomy and destitute place it would become. In fact it was mildly prosperous. Goods flowed through the ports and trade was busy. Smaug kept Amarith close as they walked across one of the many bridges of the town. He had a deep distrust of someone stealing his treasure again and was not about to let the hobbit out of his grasp. Amarith wiggled his hand out of Smaug's grasp, which annoyed Smaug significantly. He turned sharply on his heel and was about to lash Amarith with words, but the hobbit spoke first,

"It would be best and more effective if we split up."

Smaug wanted to say no and force Amarith to stay by his side, but the look in those brilliant green eyes made his will turn to jelly. He conceded and, after purchasing a wheelbarrow, gave Amarith the sack of coins, but he removed a portion of the coins so he could also purchase some things while they were here. Smaug frowned internally as he watched Amarith walk off. He meandered around the market until he found what he was looking for. Smaug purchased two medium sized containers of oil to use as lubricant and a basket to carry them until he met back up with Amarith. He walked around a bit ore until he came across a merchant selling fine clothes. Smaug looked at the various ornate tunics and fancy coats, but stopped when he found a lovely green tunic embellished with gold that was the perfect size for Amarith. He purchased it without a second thought and hurried off to find Amarith.

Amarith, pushing a well loaded wheelbarrow, navigated the pathways through Lake Town. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see if it was Smaug, but was surprised by a knife pressing against his neck. Amarith's eyes widened in horror, but it was quickly replaced by surprise as the person was yanked away from him by Smaug. Smaug, having claws instead of hands, choked the man and tore his face open. He, his claws dripping in blood, held Amarith close as rage rushed through him. Smaug took deep breaths, smoke blowing out of his mouth with each breath. He whispered sharply to Amarith,

"This is why I did not want you to go off on your own. You will stay at my side when we come here again, understand?"

Amarith nodded softly and hugged Smaug softly in an attempt to calm the shape-shifter down. To no surprise it worked and Smaug calmed down almost instantly. He let go of Amarith and started to push the wheelbarrow,

"We should leave this wretched place."

Amarith nodded and walked beside Smaug all the way back to Erbor. Once back in Erbor, Smaug flew the wheelbarrow over to the palace then came back for Amarith. He pushed the wheelbarrow into the kitchen and then into the pantry. Amarith started putting things away, but Smaug quickly pulled him out of the room and into their bedroom. Before Amarith could question him, Smaug pulled Amarith's shirt and put the green tunic on him. He grinned faintly as Amarith's face lit up with blush. Smaug leaned down and whispered,

"You look lovely in that, my dear hobbit…"

Amarith blushed more and put his hands on Smaug's cheeks then pulled him into a warm kiss. Smaug lifted Amarith up and sat on the bed as he returned the kiss with great passion. He kicked off his shoes and moved so he was lying on the bed. Amarith pulled away and removed his own shoes then took of the tunic; not wanting to get it messed up. He set it on the table sitting next to the bed then laid down next to Smaug. The shape-shifter pulled him close,

"I am still angry about earlier… He could have killed you… or taken you somewhere…"

Smaug was steadily becoming angrier with each moment. Amarith hugged Smaug in an attempt to calm the shape-shifter and whispered softly,

"He could have, but he didn't. You got there in time and stopped him. Now we know to stick together when we go somewhere outside of the mountain."

Smaug take a deep breath and kissed Amarith's forehead,

"Thank you… You have quite the talent for calming me down…"

Amarith kissed Smaug's cheek lightly,

"It seems so… We should go to sleep. Today has been unpleasantly long…"

Smaug nodded in agreement and pulled Amarith closer. Amarith rested his head on the shape-shifter's chest and quickly slipped into the warm embrace of sleep. Smaug, however, did not reach sleep so easily because his thoughts tormented him. He watched Amarith sleep and muttered angrily,

"You are mine… I will not ever let anyone harm you or lay a finger on you… In fact, you will not leave Erbor again…"

Smaug did not want to risk the very real threat that others created for his hobbit and so he decided that he would not take Amarith with him to get food or other things. He considered Amarith not only his treasure, but also a possible mate. Dragons were extremely protective of their mates and Smaug had absorbed that trait into his own thinking. Smaug pulled Amarith closer and finally drifted off to a sleep he desperately needed.


	3. Five Years Later- Reunions and Deals

Sorry for the delay everyone! A lot of things have been going on and I haven't been able to write much. Anyway, enjoy the show!

It had been five years since they'd met. Five years since Smaug gained his beloved treasure, the hobbit Amarith. These had been the best five years of Smaug's long, rather sleepy life. Not only did he gain a mate, but he now had three adorable daughters and soon to have a fourth child. Smaug was protective of his family and did not allow them to leave Erbor except for short periods of time to get fresh air. These became less frequent after what happened two years ago.

_Snow fell on Erbor and its surrounding lands, panting them a glowing white. Smaug carried his one year old daughter, who was named Eridelle, out onto a small plain in front of the secret entrance while his two year old daughter, named Thalia, ran alongside him. Amarith, who was several months pregnant with he and Smaug's third child, walked along Smaug's other side with a faint smile upon his lips. The small family had come out for fresh air and to spend a fun day playing in the snow. Thalia sat down on the ground and started pushing snow together to form a small mound that she then began shaping into something that neither of her parents could determine. Smaug realized it first and chuckled softly to see she was trying to make a dragon out of snow. He set Eridelle down and watched her slowly move around in the soft fluffy snow. The young infant sat in the snow and tried to catch the snowflakes that were steadily falling down. Smaug was so focused on watching his daughters enjoy their time in the snow that he did not sense a lone orc crouched behind a rock within arrow-shot distance. The orc lined up an arrow to shoot Smaug in the head, but was spooked by something nearby and lost his mark. He sent the arrow off, but it missed its intended mark completely. Amarith let out a scream of horror and pain as he was shot in the lower stomach by an arrow. Smaug's eyes widened with furious anger. He looked around then spotted the orc fleeing. Within moments Smaug was on top of the orc, tearing him to shreds as screams of rage and heartbreak fell from Smaug's lips. He couldn't believe this. A lone orc had just murdered his unborn child and perhaps even killed his beloved mate. This couldn't be happening, could it? Smaug did not want to believe this, but had no choice in the matter. He, once the orc was dead, ran back to his family and began healing his sobbing lover,_

"_Shhh… Ama…. e…everything will be…. alright….."_

_Amarith still wept heartbrokenly. Eridelle and Thalia began to weep softly; though they did not exactly know why they were weeping. Smaug set the two girls on the lap of the now healed Amarith and carried all three back into Erbor quickly, closing the hidden door behind them. He flew them back to the old palace and set his family down in him and Amarith's bed before lying down next to them. Smaug, on the verge of sobbing, held them close to himself as he tried his hardest to soothe them. Once his family had been coaxed into sleeping, which had taken a while, Smaug began to weep softly and blame himself for what had happened. He was going to be more vigilant. He was going to protect his family better. Smaug would never allow anything to harm them again._

Smaug was still kind and loving to his family, but much more protective and possessive of them. They were his family and he had every right to be this way, right? Much to his aggravation Amarith didn't exactly agree with it. Amarith wanted to be able to take a walk through Erbor without Smaug right beside him all the time. He needed some space and it took a large amount of convincing for Smaug to give him that space. The girls didn't seem to mind Smaug's protectiveness too much, except for when he didn't let them go out and play in the snow. Smaug did give them the freedom to explore the powers they'd inherited from him. It fascinated him to see just how powerful his young daughters were. Thalia could shift into five distinct forms, one of them being a small dragon, despite only being four years old. Eridelle wasn't particularly interested in shape-shifting, but she was interested in other forms of magic. Smaug was going to teach her everything he could about magic outside of shape-shifting. Finally the youngest daughter, Melody, seemed to be right in between the extremes of her older sisters, but she was too young for anything to be certain. Smaug had spent some time trying to see if Amarith could wield magic, but it only resulted in Amarith flying across the room after a small magical explosion. They decided not to try that again because the next time may have a grizzly outcome.

The last time Smaug went to town for food he heard rumors of a small group coming to steal the Arkenstone from Erbor, but paid no mind to these rumors. No one could enter the Lonely Mountain without his knowledge except through a hidden door at the top of a long set of stairs only visible on the last light of Durin's Day, which happened to be the following day. He was certain no one else knew of it thus asked no questions about these rumors and quietly returned home. Smaug pitied what Lake Town and its people had become, but did not care enough to help them. His family was all Smaug cared about. Should anyone actually make it inside of the mountain through that hidden door, Smaug would just roast them alive. He would do anything for his family. When finally reaching home Smaug told Amarith about the rumors he'd heard, just to make his sweet hobbit aware in the extremely unlikely event someone got inside. Amarith was a bit concerned about this, but Smaug convinced him there was nothing to worry about. Smaug requested that Amarith not say anything about this to the girls though. He did not want to worry them unnecessarily.

Smaug helped Amarith put food away in the pantry, but glanced over his shoulder every few seconds to make sure his sweet hobbit wasn't straining himself. This pregnancy had been unpleasantly difficult on Amarith's body and the two decided this would be the last child they had. Amarith was, sad to say, skeptical of this though. He knew Smaug wanted a large family and he also wanted a large family. Amarith also doubted this being his last pregnancy because of Smaug's dislike of pulling out upon climax. It gave Smaug a sensation of dominance and control to fill Amarith with his seed, as if he was claiming Amarith again for the first time. Amarith certainly didn't mind Smaug's dominative tendencies though. Amarith tried to pick up a mildly heavy bag of potatoes, but Smaug had it out of his hands in an instant,

"Ama, please, you know it is unhealthy for you and the baby to lift things that are too heavy…"

He sighed and nodded softly, but did voice protest,

"Smaug, I am not helpless. You need to stop treating me like I will fall to pieces if I do something on my own. Please, let me do things."

Smaug frowned, stepping closer to his dear mate,

"I will not have a repeat of two years ago."

His anger began showing through and he started to yell,

"I WILL NOT LOSE ANOTHER CHILD! I DO NOT CARE IF YOU THINK YOU CAN DO SOMETHING! YOU WILL ASK ME FOR ASSISTANCE! YOU WILL NOT ENDANGER MY CHILD! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!"

Amarith's eyes widened a bit with fear. He knew Smaug would never purposefully harm him, but accidents could happen. Amarith suddenly felt a stinging sensation in his right cheek and blinked in shock. Smaug had never smacked him before nor had Smaug ever been so harsh towards him. Amarith stepped backwards away from Smaug as tears fell from his cheeks then took off. He locked himself in he and Smaug's bedroom and crawled into the bed. Smaug stood there for a moment before running after Amarith. He, sobbing harshly in guilt, slammed his fists into the heavy iron doors,

'Amarith! Please! I didn't mean to do that! Please! Open the door!"

He felt his stomach twisting in knots with worry. What if he had caused Amarith to miscarry? What if he had caused Amarith to hate him? These questions and more ran wild in the shape-shifter's mind alongside his self-loathing. He slammed his fists into the door and screamed so loud he could be heard outside the Lonely Mountain. Smaug grabbed a few things and started trying to pick the lock on the door. He cursed himself mentally for not practicing lock picking for the last few years because this was intensely difficult. Finally after nearly an hour of working Smaug got the door open and ran inside. Amarith had drifted into some sort of troubled sleep by this time. Smaug lay down next to the small hobbit and held him gently. A small sigh of relief slipped out of his lips as the tension in Amarith's body slipped away. It brought the shape-shifter peace to know that even though he had made the largest mistake of his life and harmed the most important thing in Middle Earth to him, that Amarith could and did still love him. He didn't deserve Amarith at all, but would work every day for the rest of his life to try to be what Amarith deserved. Exhaustion began to overtake Smaug and he joined Amarith in sleep.

All was not still in Erbor though. Thalia and Eridelle were playing tag on the vast ocean of gold. The game stopped when they heard something strange. The sisters nodded at each other and went to investigate the sound. Bilbo Baggins nervously descended the impressive stone staircase towards the vast gold sea below. He looked around every moment with an intense fear of being eaten alive by a dragon. Bilbo rested his hand on his stomach in a failing attempt to soothe the infant now wiggling around uneasily. He had been too afraid and embarrassed to tell Thorin and the rest of the company that he was carrying Thorin's child before being sent inside the mountain so he was the only one who knew of the child. Bilbo heard a sound then looked to his left and screamed when he saw a dragon looking at him. He moved backwards quickly and tripped, falling onto his butt. The dragon was small with deep blue scales and emerald green eyes. Bilbo blinked, not expecting the great Smaug to be a tiny blue dragon. The dragon's eyes widened and turned into a four year old girl, Thalia. She motioned for Eridelle to come over,

"He looks like Mommy!"

Eridelle looked at Bilbo and gasped with surprise,

"He does! Let's take him to Mommy and Daddy!"

Thalia nodded in agreement and helped Bilbo stand up. Before Bilbo could voice a protest the two girls led him towards the old Dwarven palace. He winced internally with pain of his unborn child moving around and the fear of what would happen next. It took quite a while to reach the palace, but once they did Thalia ran to her parents' bedroom while Eridelle stayed with Bilbo. Eridelle reached up and rubbed Bilbo's stomach,

"You're even having a baby like Mommy is!"

Bilbo blinked in surprise. It was widely known that the only males who could give birth were hobbits. He began to notice very hobbit-like traits in the two girls and wondered if perhaps his friend hadn't been killed those five years ago. It was highly unlikely, but an interesting idea. Bilbo tensed up when he heard three people coming out of the old palace. When the doors opened, he prepared to be roasted alive by a great dragon, but instead was greeted by a hug and gleeful shout,

"Bilbo! What are you doing here?"

Bilbo blinked in shock. It was Amarith! Bilbo took a deep breath and hugged back tightly,

"Amarith, you have been here all this time?"

Amarith nodded,

"When I was abandoned by Marko, Smaug kept me as recompense for his stolen treasure. We'd actually met a few days before that happened… Anyway, we sort of fell in love and started a family together…"

Bilbo smiled and nodded understandingly then frowned,

"I hope I can convince Thorin not to kill Smaug…"

Amarith turned a bit pale,

"I hope so too or at least you could distract him long enough for us to leave."

Smaug finally spoke,

"I will not allow anyone to force us from our home. This is the only place our children have ever known and they will not be forced from their home."

He then turned to Bilbo,

"My dear Amarith has said many good things about you and I thank you for being so kind to him when his own family cast him out."

Eridelle patted Bilbo's stomach,

"He has a baby just like Mommy!"

Amarith smiled,

"Who's the lucky father?"

Bilbo looked down,

"Thorin Oakenshield…"

Smaug and Amarith looked at each other with great concern. Amarith asked softly,

"Bilbo, does he know you are carrying his child?"

Bilbo shook his head and looked to the cold stone ground,

"I tried to tell him…but he is wholly consumed in his quest to gain the Arkenstone and reclaim the mountain…"

Smaug snarled softly,

"That Arkenstone has destroyed enough minds and lives…"

He went down into the ocean of gold and came back with the Arkenstone,

"I have a deal to make with Thorin. Bilbo come with me, but Amarith, you must stay here."

Amarith shook his head,

"I will not stay behind."

Smaug wanted to argue, but he was already well aware that he would lose so he did not press the matter. He carefully lifted the two hobbits and took them to the door that Bilbo had come in through. Smaug sent them down and allowed Bilbo to guide them out to the waiting dwarves.

Thorin quietly paced back and forth, waiting for Bilbo to return. He stopped when he heard footsteps heading out of the secret passage, but frowned as there were too many footsteps. What was coming out with that burglar? Thorin looked with extreme confusion when he saw Bilbo come out with what appeared to be a human and another hobbit,

"Bilbo, who are they? Where is the Arkenstone?"

Bilbo motioned to Amarith,

"This is Amarith, a dear friend of mine who disappeared five years ago."

He then motioned to Smaug, but Smaug spoke before he could,

"I am Smaug, but you may not recognize me in this form."

Thorin did recognize Smaug by his eyes. He glared at Bilbo,

"You traitor! What did this vile lizard promise you?! Riches of the mountain after you let him kill us all!"

Bilbo shook his head as a few heartbroken tears threatened to spill out. It hurt deeply that Thorin thought so little of him that he would even suggest that. After everything that had happened, did Thorin still not trust him? Smaug growled,

"I promised him nothing other than I would not roast you alive. No, I am here to make a deal with you."

Thorin held in a snarl,

"Why would you make any sort of promise not to kill? For that matter why would you make any deals with me?"

Smaug sighed,

"I want to make a deal with you because I have come to see I was wrong in taking your home and I hope to stay here, but not for my own sake. I have three daughters and soon a fourth child… I don't want them to leave the only home they know… As for my promise not to kill you, it would be rude to murder you in front of the person carrying your unborn child…"

Thorin's eyes widened with shock and he nervously motioned for Bilbo to come over. Bilbo slowly walked over to Thorin and stopped right in front of him. Thorin gently touched Bilbo's stomach and lost his composure when a tiny hand pressed against his own. He fell to his knees while rubbing his stomach and wept with joy, but sadness was also present in his tears. Thorin felt immense guilt for how unkindly he had treated Bilbo as they got closer to the mountain. He regained his sense and stood up,

"Bilbo, how far along are you?"

Bilbo thought for a moment,

"No more than four months."

Thorin nodded softly and then looked to Smaug,

"I will here this deal of yours and we can negotiate…"

Smaug nodded and led everyone back into the mountain.

It took a while on foot, but they soon reached the palace. Thorin had been very insistent on carrying Bilbo. Once inside, Smaug and Thorin went to a private room to negotiate while the other dwarves and the two hobbits stayed in one of the many sitting rooms. They passed the time by listening to Bilbo and Amarith tell stories about the adventures the two had when they were younger and hearing all the creative stories Thalia and Eridelle could come up with. It was well known that dwarves were particularly attached to children because children were very rare amongst the dwarves. Everyone had been very congratulatory to Bilbo because he was carrying the child of their king, but Bilbo was less than excited. He worried about Thorin being affected by the gold sickness and going crazy. Amarith put his hand on Bilbo's shoulder,

"Everything will be alright, Bilbo…"

Bilbo nodded softly then quickly turned to the door when it opened. Smaug and Thorin walked in the room. It was easy to see that they had been laughing moments before. That was a good sign. Thorin announced the terms to everyone,

"We have our mountain and its riches back. In exchange Smaug and his family may remain here in the palace and the Arkenstone must be put in a vault neither Smaug nor I can enter."

Everyone erupted in enthusiastic cheers and hugged one another. This was going to be the start of a new era of peace.

I hope you liked it! I am going to write two endings for this story. The next chapter will be the happy ending and the chapter after that is the unhappy ending.


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